Columnist

The ABC has got off very lightly, so far, for the claims it aired about the navy torturing asylum seekers. Well done to Defence Minister David Johnston for his passionate defence of the men and women of the Australian Navy. The ABC can dish it out but it's not so good at taking criticism, even from its own Media Watch.

The ABC gave me a much harder time on the 2001 children overboard issue, when claims were made that adult refugees on boats headed for Australia were throwing their children overboard in an attempt to force the navy to pick them up. The issue started with immigration minister Phillip Ruddock and then prime minister John Howard. By the third day the media were pressing me, as defence minister, to comment.

I told Howard I would speak but only after I had first been briefed by then chief of the Defence Force Admiral Chris Barrie. While I was defence minister, Admiral Barrie never changed his initial advice. I did not initiate the claim and I relied on his advice. I was a lot more careful then than the ABC has been now dealing with a more serious claim.

Although I retired at the election, Labor paid me the faux compliment of saying that I won the 2001 election because of the children overboard affair. This was not true, but I became the punching bag for all those who were disappointed that Howard won the 2001 election. I believed the children overboard story to be true at the time - though it was later found to be untrue by a Labor-led Senate select committee.

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I believed it was just one of a series of attempts by refugees to try to force the navy to pick up boat people. In the context of over 1000 people drowning at sea and billions of dollars spent as a result of Labor's diabolical policy, it's a wonder that the ABC should now try to undermine the efforts of the new government to stop the boats. It is a classic case of bias.

The ABC has long had its pet subjects, such as asylum seekers and climate change. The ABC's recent problems started with the running of the Edward Snowden revelations (of Australian spying during Labor's time in government). The story had a sense of journalistic ''gotcha''. It was badly managed. And reporting into Indonesia under the Australia Network contract was problematic. That story and now the torture story have left the public wondering about the ABC.

The ABC's bias is cultural, deeply ingrained and not about to stop. I do not say that the ABC is politically wedded to Labor's fortunes. But it does not understand the Coalition's perspective as exemplified recently by ABC chairman Jim Spigelman. On the topic of bias, he announced that the ABC would commission a report by someone from the BBC. Having lived six years in Britain, I would say that the BBC today is no better than the ABC. BBC founder Lord (John) Reith would roll over in his grave if he could see it today. I was amazed that Spigelman could not see that a BBC person would most likely have the same view as someone from the ABC.

But a culture war is not about to erupt even if the ABC refuses the apology sought. There is no appetite in the government to go after the ABC.

The most likely outcome of the current melee will be found in the May budget. The ABC will be cut hard, but much the same as everyone else. Its efficiency review will be the extent of the cuts. Later, there may be some changes to the ABC board. Additionally, the ABC will probably lose its small contract for the Australia Network, which is not core business anyway.

Of course, there is a strong argument that government should not be running a TV business. But I would not sell the ABC simply because of its bias. Bias is always a problem for media outlets, not just the ABC. There is no such thing as unbiased opinion. Everyone has a different view; different media outlets have their own culture. The objective of public policy is to encourage diversity of outlets and hence opinion. Then it is for the public to make their assessments. If the audience don't like what they see, they will switch.

Australia should not be taxing consumers for a government service that can be serviced by free enterprise. We don't need government to supply viewers with quiz shows and constantly repeating news programs that can all be delivered commercially and probably at a lower cost. The world has changed; convergence of internet, TV and other devices is broadening the information and entertainment businesses. The recent independent tender process for the Australian Network demonstrated the obvious reality that the private sector was able to provide a better service than the ABC.

But to all the ABC fans, don't worry: Australian politics is far too conservative for that sort of free enterprise approach.

Peter Reith is a former Howard government minister.

30 comments

Pure partisan political spin, as you would expect.

Commenter

Peter Sneer

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

February 11, 2014, 11:39AM

My heart bleeds for poor Peter Reith...he is just so misunderstood!

"The ABC gave me a much harder time on the 2001 children overboard issue, when claims were made that adult refugees on boats headed for Australia were throwing their children overboard in an attempt to force the navy to pick them up"....the claims were made by Liberal ministers including Mr. Reith.

As was discovered by the Senate inquiry in the matter, the claims were not ture, and now Mr. Reith is crying about the horrible ABC and what they did to him.

Commenter

TT33

Date and time

February 11, 2014, 12:08PM

Water melon radio - pink and green.

When has the ABC ever run stories counter to its crusades on gay rights, refugees, multi culturalism et al?

We're not all Lefties from Brunswick but we all put in our eight cents.

Commenter

Brad

Location

Brighton VIC

Date and time

February 11, 2014, 12:48PM

Reith is still trying to justify his error in 2001 re "children overboard" to use as a sledgehammer for the government to tackle the ABC. He is right to be concerned about the ABC.They will hold this and any government to account...it is their job. And this government is trying to muzzle those who dare to speak out against them...co-ordinated attacks in the media, reduce budgets, and not-so-subtle language to criticize their detractors.This is the worst government I can ever recall, and I have been around for a while.Don't kid yourself...this is not a liberal government.It is right wing and proudly conservative.That's why we should be worried.Bring on the next election.

Peter , I do hope you become so outraged with the bias of the ABC you resign your occasional appearances on The Drum and spare us all your personal bias. Yours and your governments performance during the 'children overboard' incident is exactly why we the people have every right to question the accusations against the navy and why the ABC does not need to apologise

Commenter

Seamustasmania

Date and time

February 11, 2014, 2:17PM

Hi Peter,

You frustrate me with your continual insistence that the ABC is biased.I find the ABC's coverage of news and current affairs to be politically neutral - just as willing and able to cover stories damaging to traditional 'left-wing interests' such as unions as it is to topics considered traditionally right-wing.

You are an intelligent man with considerable political experience, yet every time I see you appear on the ABC, you seem to essentially be political arm of the Liberal Party. That is fine, it is your political position - but it seems so calculatedly so - without any hint of acceding points to the other side as a good debater normally does.

The ABC is an essential part of our healthy, informed democracy. We particularly need it now where our media landscape is dominated a small number of media owners - some with quite visible political will.

Commenter

Daniel Verberne

Location

Croydon, Victoria

Date and time

February 11, 2014, 2:18PM

Credibility overboard.

Commenter

FigMince

Date and time

February 11, 2014, 2:53PM

Why would anyone be surprised? They have lied about just about everything since they came to power, Gonski, NBN etc why would anyone believe they would leave the ABC alone. The IPA wants to abolish the ABC, and the LNP are great supporters of the IPA.

Commenter

Pollyho

Date and time

February 11, 2014, 3:24PM

Typical ex-liberal minister opinion. You could close your eyes and pretend that this was written by Amanda Vanstone!

How valuable and how refreshing honest would it have been if the article was in the vein of " The ABC got this story wrong because it jumped into conclusion without verifying its facts first, just like I and my government did with the Children Overboard Affair"